cfg80211_rx_mlme_mgmt(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

💅 cfg80211_rx_mlme_mgmt — the Kernel API Manual, bestie edition

okay so picture this: you're in the kernel, you're in station mode, and a management frame just rolled up. This page is cfg80211_rx_mlme_mgmt(9) from the Kernel API Manual, and it's literally the "hey, I handled that frame" notification. Let's get into it 🎀

✨ NAME ✨

cfg80211_rx_mlme_mgmt — the notification that says a processed MLME management frame happened. That's it, that's the vibe 💅

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

void cfg80211_rx_mlme_mgmt (struct net_device *dev , const u8 *buf ,
       size_t len );

Look at her go. Three args, no drama ✨

🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

  • dev — the network device. the main character of this whole situation 👑
  • buf — the authentication frame, and yes bestie that means header + body, the whole package 🎁
  • len — the length of the frame data. how much of the above we're actually talking about 📏

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

So here's the tea, fr fr. This function gets called whenever an authentication, disassociation, or deauthentication frame has been received and processed in station mode. Like, both things — received and processed. It's not just "ooh a frame showed up," it's "handled it, moving on" 💀

Now the driver rules, and these are non-negotiable, so pay attention:

  • After the driver gets asked to authenticate via cfg80211_ops::auth, it must call either this function or cfg80211_auth_timeout. pick one, bestie, no ghosting the stack 👻
  • After the driver gets asked to associate via cfg80211_ops::assoc, it must call either this function or cfg80211_auth_timeout. same deal, same energy 🫶
  • While connected, the driver must call this for received and processed disassociation and deauthentication frames 📡
  • If the frame couldn't be used because it was unprotected, the driver must call cfg80211_rx_unprot_mlme_mgmt instead. different function, different lane, don't mix them up 🙈
⚠️ two things that will absolutely end you if you ignore them: this function may sleep 😴 and the caller must hold the corresponding wdev's mutex. hold it. the mutex. do not forget the mutex 🔥

⭐ that's the whole energy ⭐

so to recap the vibe check: dev, buf, len, station mode, auth / disassoc / deauth frames, call it or cfg80211_auth_timeout after cfg80211_ops::auth and cfg80211_ops::assoc, unprotected frames go to cfg80211_rx_unprot_mlme_mgmt instead, it may sleep, hold the wdev's mutex. iconic, no notes 💜

and there's more coming, so don't wander off — this was just part 1 🧚

🌈 SEE ALSO, aka the part where this manpage simply refuses to stop 💀

okay bestie, brace yourself — this section is literally just a giant list of everything even remotely related, and it is iconic in how extra it is. No descriptions, no mercy, just vibes and cross-references. We're gonna get through it together. 🫶

🎀 the origin file + the band / capability crew

lowkey that whole block is the "what can this radio even do" zone — caps, bands, iftype data, the works. 💅

🦋 Actions and configuration, and the entire chandef cinematic universe

not me about to list like thirty chandef functions in a row 😭 but they're all main characters so:

see, told you. chandef nation represent 🫡🌸

🌸 beacons, APs, stations, mesh & OCB — the whole setup squad

  • enum survey_info_flags(9)
  • struct survey_info(9)
  • struct cfg80211_crypto_settings(9)
  • struct cfg80211_mbssid_config(9)
  • struct cfg80211_mbssid_elems(9)
  • struct cfg80211_rnr_elems(9)
  • struct cfg80211_beacon_data(9)
  • struct cfg80211_acl_data(9)
  • struct cfg80211_fils_discovery(9)
  • struct cfg80211_unsol_bcast_probe_resp(9)
  • struct cfg80211_s1g_short_beacon(9)
  • struct cfg80211_ap_settings(9)
  • struct cfg80211_ap_update(9)
  • struct cfg80211_csa_settings(9)
  • struct cfg80211_color_change_settings(9)
  • struct iface_combination_params(9)
  • enum station_parameters_apply_mask(9)
  • struct sta_txpwr(9)
  • struct link_station_parameters(9)
  • struct link_station_del_parameters(9)
  • struct cfg80211_ttlm_params(9)
  • struct station_parameters(9)
  • struct station_del_parameters(9)
  • enum cfg80211_station_type(9)
  • cfg80211_check_station_change(9)
  • enum rate_info_flags(9)
  • enum rate_info_bw(9)
  • struct rate_info(9)
  • enum bss_param_flags(9)
  • struct sta_bss_parameters(9)
  • struct cfg80211_txq_stats(9)
  • struct cfg80211_tid_stats(9)
  • struct link_station_info(9)
  • struct station_info(9)
  • struct cfg80211_sar_sub_specs(9)
  • struct cfg80211_sar_specs(9)
  • struct cfg80211_sar_freq_ranges(9)
  • struct cfg80211_sar_capa(9)
  • cfg80211_get_station(9)
  • enum monitor_flags(9)
  • enum mpath_info_flags(9)
  • struct mpath_info(9)
  • enum wiphy_bss_param_flags(9)
  • struct bss_parameters(9)
  • struct mesh_config(9)
  • struct mesh_setup(9)
  • struct ocb_setup(9)
  • struct ieee80211_txq_params(9)

the way this section goes from beacon data straight to mesh config to OCB without even blinking 😭 ate, honestly.

💅 Scanning and BSS list handling (plus auth / assoc / connect / wowlan in the same breath)

  • Scanning and BSS list handling(9)
  • struct cfg80211_ssid(9)
  • struct cfg80211_scan_info(9)
  • struct cfg80211_scan_6ghz_params(9)
  • struct cfg80211_scan_request(9)
  • struct cfg80211_match_set(9)
  • struct cfg80211_sched_scan_plan(9)
  • struct cfg80211_bss_select_adjust(9)
  • struct cfg80211_sched_scan_request(9)
  • enum cfg80211_signal_type(9)
  • struct cfg80211_inform_bss(9)
  • struct cfg80211_bss_ies(9)
  • struct cfg80211_bss(9)
  • ieee80211_bss_get_elem(9)
  • ieee80211_bss_get_ie(9)
  • struct cfg80211_auth_request(9)
  • struct cfg80211_assoc_link(9)
  • struct cfg80211_ml_reconf_req(9)
  • enum cfg80211_assoc_req_flags(9)
  • struct cfg80211_assoc_request(9)
  • struct cfg80211_deauth_request(9)
  • struct cfg80211_disassoc_request(9)
  • struct cfg80211_ibss_params(9)
  • struct cfg80211_bss_selection(9)
  • struct cfg80211_connect_params(9)
  • enum cfg80211_connect_params_changed(9)
  • enum wiphy_params_flags(9)
  • struct cfg80211_pmksa(9)
  • struct cfg80211_pkt_pattern(9)
  • struct cfg80211_wowlan_tcp(9)
  • struct cfg80211_wowlan(9)
  • struct cfg80211_coalesce_rules(9)
  • struct cfg80211_coalesce(9)
  • struct cfg80211_wowlan_nd_match(9)
  • struct cfg80211_wowlan_nd_info(9)
  • struct cfg80211_wowlan_wakeup(9)
  • struct cfg80211_gtk_rekey_data(9)
  • struct cfg80211_update_ft_ies_params(9)
  • struct cfg80211_mgmt_tx_params(9)
  • struct cfg80211_dscp_exception(9)
  • struct cfg80211_dscp_range(9)
  • struct cfg80211_qos_map(9)

scan request → assoc request → wowlan patterns → QoS map. the pipeline is pipelining ✨

🧚 NAN, FTM, PMSR, OWE & the fancy-stuff roster

  • Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN)(9)
  • struct cfg80211_nan_band_config(9)
  • struct cfg80211_nan_conf(9)
  • struct cfg80211_nan_channel(9)
  • struct cfg80211_nan_local_sched(9)
  • struct cfg80211_nan_peer_map(9)
  • struct cfg80211_nan_peer_sched(9)
  • enum cfg80211_nan_conf_changes(9)
  • struct cfg80211_nan_func_filter(9)
  • struct cfg80211_nan_func(9)
  • struct cfg80211_pmk_conf(9)
  • struct cfg80211_external_auth_params(9)
  • struct cfg80211_ftm_responder_stats(9)
  • struct cfg80211_pmsr_ftm_result(9)
  • struct cfg80211_pmsr_result(9)
  • struct cfg80211_pmsr_ftm_request_peer(9)
  • struct cfg80211_pmsr_request_peer(9)
  • struct cfg80211_pmsr_request(9)
  • struct cfg80211_update_owe_info(9)
  • struct mgmt_frame_regs(9)

NAN block is giving "I know what that stands for and I'm not explaining it" energy, and honestly? valid 🧚💜

👑 the wiphy + wdev hall of fame

this chunk is so long it deserves its own red carpet:

wiphy_new → wiphy_register → do the thing → wiphy_unregister → wiphy_free. the whole life cycle is RIGHT THERE and it's gorgeous 😭👑

⭐ Utility functions + Data path helpers

find_ie / find_elem / find_ext / find_vendor… the way there's a finder for literally every situation is so my brand 🎀

🌈 Regulatory enforcement infrastructure + Internal regulatory db functions

the regulatory db stays mysterious on purpose and we respect that 🙈

🔥 scan done, BSS inform & the mlme-mgmt friends

heads up bestie: cfg80211_rx_mlme_mgmt(9) itself is not in this list, but these are its whole friend group, so 👀

cfg80211_tx_mlme_mgmt and cfg80211_rx_unprot_mlme_mgmt sitting right here next to the page you're reading — the siblings said hi 🔥

🎀 RFkill, Vendor commands, Test mode

alloc skb → fill it → reply. alloc skb → fill it → event. the pattern is pattern-ing 💅

💜 the connect / roam / notify finale

and that's exactly where this part of the list cuts off — there's still more coming, so don't go anywhere bestie 🫶✨

okay so the cross-reference rabbit hole continues and honestly it's a whole friend group, here's the rest of the crew 💜

and that's the whole page bestie, you made it to the end 🎉🫶 go forth and call cfg80211_rx_mlme_mgmt(9) with confidence, you absolute icon.

this one lives in ./include/net (that's the source/version, mwah 💋), dated October 2026, and the page itself is cfg80211_rx_mlme_mgmt(9) — screenshot it, cite it, live by it. periodt. 💅✨

📦 where this page comes from